If you ask my husband what his favorite thing to cook is, he’ll always say one word: smoke. He’s been obsessed with smoking meats for years, and this pulled pork shoulder is one of the first dishes he really mastered. Over time, he’s tested and tweaked it—adjusting temps, timings, and ingredients—until it became what it is now: absolutely perfect.
This isn’t your average pulled pork recipe. It starts with a bold, flavorful dry rub made from pantry staples like salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and brown sugar. From there, it’s low and slow on the smoker, developing a deep smoky bark with a light vinegar spritz along the way.
But the real magic happens at the end: just as the bark sets and the pork is nearly done, we wrap it and finish it in the oven with a combination of butter, hot honey, regular honey, and pepper jelly. That glaze infuses into the meat as it finishes cooking, making it sticky, rich, and ridiculously tender. Every bite is juicy, smoky, slightly sweet, and beautifully balanced.
One of the best parts? You won’t even need BBQ sauce. This pork is that flavorful all on its own. And if you happen to have leftovers, it’s just as amazing the next day piled into a sandwich, tossed into tacos, or eaten straight out of the container (guilty).
We always let it rest on the warm setting in the oven for a couple of hours if time allows—something about that little pause just makes it shred like a dream.
Whether it’s your first smoked meat or your fiftieth, this one’s a keeper.
Smoked Pulled Pork with Honey Butter Glaze
Description
Juicy smoked pulled pork shoulder glazed with butter, hot honey, and pepper jelly—so rich and flavorful, you won’t need BBQ sauce. A low-and-slow favorite for any backyard pitmaster.
Ingredients
pork butt seasoning
Instructions
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Score and season: Using a sharp knife, score the fat cap of the pork shoulder in a diamond pattern. Season generously on all sides with the pork butt seasoning. Let sit at room temperature for 15–30 minutes while you prepare the smoker.
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Smoke the pork: Preheat your smoker to 225–250°F. Place the pork shoulder fat-side up in the smoker. Smoke for 3–4 hours, then begin spritzing with a mixture of ½ water and ½ apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes to help develop bark.
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Build the bark: Continue spritzing until a deep bark forms, usually when the internal temp reaches ~170°F (this takes ~8 hours total).
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Butter glaze & wrap: Remove pork from the smoker and place in a deep foil pan or oven-safe container. Sprinkle a bit more pork butt seasoning over the top. Add chunks of unsalted butter, hot honey, regular honey, and pepper jelly directly over the pork.
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Cover & finish: Tightly seal the container with foil. Place in the oven at 225°F for another 4–5 hours, until the internal temperature reaches ~205°F or is probe-tender.
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Rest & shred: Remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes. For best results, leave on the oven’s warm setting for another hour or two before shredding.
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Serve: Discard the bone and shred the meat. Use a fat separator to skim excess fat from the pan juices, then pour the flavorful liquid back over the pulled pork before serving.
